A domestic knowledge-based company active in the medicinal plant sector has started the export of herbal extracts.
Ariana Phytochemistry of Tirazis Company has exported davanone, which is extracted from herbs used in food production, to Japan, the news portal of the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology reported.
Medicinal plant extraction is a process of separating active plant materials or secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenes, saponins, steroids and glycosides from inert or inactive material using an appropriate solvent and standard extraction procedure. “The company has patented the materials extracted from pomegranate skin and rosemary plants, which are used to produce functional foods and processed meats,” the CEO of Ariana Phytochemistry of Tirazis Company.
Simin Zamanizadeh Najjar added that processed and functional food using plant materials requires fewer preservatives, therefore they have greater health benefits.
Fruits and vegetables as well as foods fortified with vitamins, minerals, probiotics and fiber are considered functional foods.
According to Najjar, due to the comprehensive activity of the Science and Technology Development Headquarters of Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicine in the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology, the level of activity in this sector has increased considerably.
“The company is trying to develop the value chain and create added value in order to contribute to the country’s technology ecosystem,” she said.
“The knowledge-based group succeeded in establishing a research and development unit to complete the scientific process of extracting effective substances from many plants.”
The knowledge-based company has succeeded in extracting curcumin, the active plant material found in turmeric, which is used in the production of medicines for treating diseases, such as osteomyelitis.
“The anti-inflammatory and therapeutic properties of this unique spice have been of interest to humans for a long time. In ancient Egypt and in the Middle Ages and Islamic civilization, the substance has been used as an antibacterial. Its anti-inflammatory properties have also been proven in modern experiments,” she added.
Several knowledge-based Iranian companies are active in the field of medicinal plants, as the use of medicines and foods based on medicinal plants is increasing in the world.
Microalgae Help Boost Agro Output
A knowledge-based company has produced microalgae products used to enrich soils with beneficial organic nutrients for increasing agro production.
“Soil enrichment is necessary for the photosynthesis and supply of nutrients to plants,” a member of the Board of Directors of Parsian Microalgae Production Company said.
“Soil enrichment helps eliminate the imbalance of plant nutrients and is effective in regulating water absorption,” Hamid Donyaei Daraian was also quoted as saying by the news portal of the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology.
A healthy soil will be rich in nutrients, minerals and organic matter. Soil enrichment leads to a quantitative and qualitative increase in agricultural products that resist pests and diseases.
Some of the products contain minerals and organic materials that help plant growth by boosting photosynthesis as well as plant resistance against dehydration and risk of freezing.
Algae comprise the primary food chain and are the most nutritious food source in the world. They contain the most absorbable plant protein with effective biochemicals, such as beta-carotene.
The beta-carotene obtained from the company’s microalgae products is up to 10 times more effective against cancer and beneficial for the body than normal beta-carotene.
Algae also play an effective role in feeding poultry and aquatic animals, and increasing the quality of meat products.
In addition, algae are used in food supplements, hydrogen production, medicines and cosmetics, as well as for controlling pollution and treating wastewater.
“About 35 jobs have been created in the Parsian Microalgae Production Company and its soil enrichment products are supplied at a much lower price. The company has prevented a significant amount of currency outflow and is exploring export prospects to earn foreign currency,” he said.
Knowledge-Based Firm Develops Portable Meteorological System
A knowledge-based company has developed a portable agricultural meteorological system to meet the country’s needs in the field.
Currently, engineering sciences related to agriculture and food industry are much more sophisticated than in the past, according to the CEO of Yazd Electronics Engineering Company.
“Fields such as the Internet of Things, electronic engineering and data analysis, and satellites play a key role in this industry, and the company has focused on these fields,” Vali Kamali Moghaddam was also quoted as saying by the news portal of Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology.
“One of the products of this company is the production of meteorological stations for agriculture, which provide farmers with the necessary data as per the global standards of agricultural meteorology,” he added.
In general, the agro meteorological system is used to forecast weather and crop yield accurately and control the physical environment as far as possible. The latter consists of predicting frost and drought, growing windbreaks, adopting flood control measures and modifying temperature and humidity in fields and greenhouses.
Moghaddam said the sensors embedded in these portable stations are produced domestically. He added that a platform has also been produced to convert the information of these meteorological stations into understandable and easy data.
For instance, through this platform, the farmer is told what is the best time to harvest or spray pesticide, according to the system’s forecast of weather, humidity and temperature.
“The knowledge-based company has also designed a cheaper product for smaller farms of one or two hectares, which shows basic and essential data such as temperature and humidity, by eliminating more detailed features,” he added.
Moghaddam said the company has also designed a monitoring system used in greenhouses and chicken farms, which measures parameters such as carbon monoxide, ammonia, temperature and humidity.
“This information is very important for the owner of these units, as it helps save resources such as water and fertilizers in greenhouses, and prevents serious losses in poultry farms,” he added.
Currently, several advanced knowledge-based companies are active in the fields of agricultural engineering, such as agricultural satellites and the Internet of Things.
